Leadership hack No. 3: Leaders will willingly live on less

Bob Whitesel Nov. 21, 2023

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The decade of the 2020s started out with a world-wide shake up. International viruses and artificial intelligences have made people wonder how the Church will minister in this fluctuating environment of the 2020s. Studying this has been my area of research. I've called the skill of analyzing the future and adjusting the Church's methods for bigger impact, the skill of "leadership foresight."

In the first two parts of this series of articles, I discussed why command-and-control leadership (i.e. the boss-model) will be replaced by transformational leadership (i.e. the leadership model). And number 2, I discussed how foresight leaders will encourage several congregational visions, unified by having just one, biblically focused mission.

In this third installment we are going to look at finances and what is customarily the biggest budgetary item: salaries.

Lesson No. 3: Leaders will willingly live on less.

Millennials are skeptical of leaders who proverbially "feather their own nests" with monies from a congregation or ministry. Younger generations have seen leaders become disconnected, for example when Baby Boomer and then Gen. X leaders lived a much higher lifestyle than the congregants they served. And though the media, both formal and informal, castigated leaders for this self-focused entitlement, it also forced young disciples to return to Jesus' and the New Testament churches' examples of ministerial sacrifice.

For example, at the inauguration of Jesus' delegation to his disciples he told them "Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town" (Luke 9:1-4). And much of the Bible's harshest criticism was for religious leaders who coveted wealth (Mark 11, Luke 16:4, 1 Peter 5:1-3, 1 Timothy 6:9-10). Jesus famously warned: "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely" (Mark 12:38-40).

Not surprisingly, millennials seem determined to address this. Here are a few ways I see this developing among younger leaders. I believe leadership foresight suggests this will become increasingly commonplace in the future.

Hack #3:

1. Ministers will increasingly become bi-vocational to better connect with non-churchgoers. Living slightly under the median income of the congregation one serves (rather than slightly above it) will increasingly become the new norm and as a result this will better connect ministers with those they serve.

2. Bi-vocational ministers may experience less financial anxiety because of two incomes, if they come from different financial sectors. This may help cut back the number of pastors who quit the ministry because of financial constraints.

3. Artificial intelligence will help pastors with some mundane and repetitive tasks. The average church in America today has 65 members. In such small congregations the pastor may need to organize the bulletin, the website, meeting schedules and liturgies. However, some of these tasks can be assisted by artificial intelligence if the leader desires.

4. Denominations and ministerial affiliations will become leaner, with fewer administrative positions. This will allow them to decrease the financial requirements from individual congregations, while at the same time supporting congregations more. If not, more churches will leave their denominations to save money. This is something I hope doesn't happen, but I see it on the horizon unless addressed.

This article is adapted and expanded by the author from an article that previously appeared on biblicalleadership.com

For more in this series:

7 leadership hacks for the roaring 2020s: No. 1

Leadership hack No. 2: Leaders will encourage multiple visions built around one mission

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Bob Whitesel (D.Min., Ph.D.) is a foresight coach, professor, and award-winning author of 14 books. For over 30 years, he has guided leaders and churches to pivot and engage what’s next. He holds two earned doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary and teaches on leadership foresight, church health, and organizational change. His website is www.ChurchForesight.com. Learn More »

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